This blog contains assorted news and commentary on the fundraising profession and philanthropy gathered by the AFP Fundraising Resource Center.
Other Sites of Interest Section Disclaimer:
AFP provides the following listing of hyperlinks to other Internet pages as a privilege to the user. AFP does not necessarily endorse, support or attest to the accuracy of information posted on those Internet pages. Some links may require registration to view and/or may only be available for a limited time.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Ventura County Reporter - Nonprofit with local roots has global reach: "funds and did outreach for Third World and developing countries, drought-stricken, in urgent need of safe drinking water supplies. When Kuepper entered the picture, he had started writing for the group, quickly becoming director of its West Coast branch. Its offices in Oxnard are now its national headquarters, and Kuepper leads the all-volunteer nonprofit.

Because Global Water has its origins with the United Nations, it’s only fitting that Kuepper’s group is working to raise awareness of World Water Day on Monday, March 22."

So that you weren’t doing the constant Idealist/Craigslist/local job board shuffle and instead spent more of your time searching for—and talking with—people who are doing interesting things and who may be able to hook you up with a job much more easily than you can on your own?"

Nonprofit Jobs: Interview with Idealist.org's Ami Dar and Meg Busse: "Ami Dar is founder and executive director of Idealist.org and Meg Busse directs their Career Transitions Programs. Look for additional posts from Idealist.org over the next month, as they will be contributing their own mini-series as part of this Nonprofit Job series with advice on working in the nonprofit sector.

Sokunthea: It’s March 2010 and as I've mentioned before, it seems like the overall job market still looks bleak. What have you witnessed in terms of the nonprofit job market?"

If you have time and an interest in volunteering, you literally can create your own program. Aided by Internet sites that match needs and volunteers, along with other 'do it yourself' online tools, boomers are rewriting the book on how volunteering works."

Human Resource Executive Online - Story: "That's why executives from a couple of the nation's more established, traditional nonprofits -- Girl Scouts of America and Mental Health America -- joined experts from Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania at the University's Fels Institute of Government to discuss innovative new approaches that might re-create some of TFA's recruiting magic for their own organizations.

'If you have ever been to a Teach for America event, it's amazing -- they have the schtick down,' says Doug Lynch, vice dean at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education."

Susan Ellis, president of Energize, Inc., in Philadelphia, said the Disney giveaway and other days of service “validate that you only have to do the minimum. Go do something for one day and get in.” Firms offering these volunteer days and incentives mean well but might be sending the wrong message, according to Ellis."

As board members, they also gain a deeper understanding about the issues that their organizations address--whether the issue is the availability of potable water in the world, poverty and hunger, or human rights. Board members have the chance of a lifetime to learn from people they might never have otherwise met, travel together to the nonprofits' sites, see the world through the eyes of others, and help nonprofits to find and implement solutions to address global challenges. The experience is often transformative."

Insuring against the next recession | Philanthropy Journal: "'For the most part, it's an uninsurable exposure,' says Melanie Lockwood Herman, executive director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, located in Leesburg, Va. 'Most of the harm nonprofits faced during the recession were things for which there was no insurance.'

Because of competitive forces in the insurance industry, many nonprofits have solid coverage these days, with excellent policies offered for relatively low rates.'The downturn hasn't turned up any gaps in coverage, but it has exposed weaknesses in risk management,' says Herman."

Fundraisers facing major hurdles: "Ms. Fredricks, now a consultant based in New York, will share details next week of how she and her staff at Pace were able to mount a successful fundraising effort in that difficult time. She is scheduled to be a keynote speaker at a conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Western Pennsylvania Chapter and the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council.

The other keynote will be on planned giving and will be delivered by Debra Ashton, a Quincy, Mass.-based consultant. She has held staff positions at Boston University, Boston College and WGBH, the Boston public television and radio station, and has run her own firm for the last decade."

Are corporate social responsibility rankings irresponsible? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com: "Corporate social and environmental performance is all the rage in today’s investment environment. With increasing frequency, analysts are monitoring, evaluating, and ranking that performance. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) lists – ranging from Corporate Knight’s Global 100 to Ethisphere Institute’s Most Ethical Companies and Corporate Responsibility magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens – grow more plentiful and visible each day. Publishers now vie to position their lists as strategic holy grails for corporations making the cut, and Wall Street has taken notice. Nearly one out of every nine dollars of professionally managed assets in the United States – valued at an estimated $2.71 trillion – has been invested in companies that perform well in CSR rankings."

A small act, multiplied (video): "As an impoverished youth in Kenya, Harvard Law alum Chris Mburu LL.M.’93 was threatened with expulsion from his primary school because he couldn’t afford the fees. A woman named Hilde Back decided to help, and wrote a check for $15 dollars to sponsor the Kenyan"

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Philanthropic Gusher in Alaska Expected: "Two years ago the state established the 'Pick-Click-Give' program that encourages Alaskans to designate a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend, which in 2009 totaled $1,300 a piece. (Donations are done online at a state website at the same time residents apply for their annual dividend.) At the time, the Rasmuson Foundation pledged nearly $1 million the support the program, including costs to administer and promote it, during the first two years."

KnightNews.com » ZBT Rolls Out Signature Philanthropy: "The Delta Iota chapter of Zeta Beta Tau will be unveiled their signature spring philanthropy just before Spring Break on the University of Central Florida campus. The brothers of Zeta Beta Tau rolled out a giant, 6-foot ball throughout the campus to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network."

Those are just a few of the findings of a new survey released by Convio and Sea Change Strategies about how members of different generations learn about charities, interact with them, and support them."

Unfortunately, that sector itself is vulnerable. For decades, as Delaware's population has grown older and poorer, its nonprofits have grown more financially fragile. More than one-third of the state's nonprofits operated in the red each year from 2002-07, and corporate, foundation and individual giving provide them less support than they need to ably serve their increasing and increasingly needy constituents."

Disrupting Philanthropy Report: A Conversation | Geoff Livingston's Blog: "Today, Lucy Bernholtz, Edwards Skloot, and Barry Varela hosted a conversation at the Pew Conference room on their recent Disrupting Philanthropy Report. In attendance where folks from some of the largest foundations and technology companies in the world. The following is a liveblogged account of the conversation."

Smith said that the new study, which he planned to introduce to others in several states on Friday, indicated that non-profits are 'passion-rich but resource-poor.'

Leaders need to be able to take a step back and assess what their staff needs. But grant makers tend to award grants to 'sexy' things rather than the day-to-day operating needs, which often are where the biggest needs are, Smith said."